Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Sunny Yoursula’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Sunny Yoursula’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; small decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; bright yellow-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering in mid September in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Sunny Yoursula.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunny Yoursula’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yoursula, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,641. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the cultivar Yoursula in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in April, 2002. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive ray floret color and good garden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since June, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Sunny Yoursula has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunny Yoursula’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunny Yoursula’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Small decorative-type inflorescences with elongated         oblong-shaped ray florets.     -   5. Bright yellow-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering in mid September in the Northern         Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the parent, the cultivar Yoursula, primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Yoursula had lavender-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the cultivar Festive Yoursula, disclosed in a U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,324, in ray floret coloration.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Sunny Yorobin, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,064. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Sunny Yorobin in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller and more rounded         than plants of the cultivar Sunny Yorobin.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered five to seven days         later than plants of the cultivar Sunny Yorobin when grown under         natural season conditions.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered a few days earlier         than plants of the cultivar Sunny Yorobin when grown under         artificial short day/long night photoperiodic conditions.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yellow Urano, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,101. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yellow Urano in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were not as outwardly         spreading as plants of the cultiar Yellow Urano.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Yellow Urano.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunny Yoursula’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Sunny Yoursula’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Alva, Fla. during the winter in a fiberglass-covered greenhouse under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden-type Chrysanthemum production. One cutting was planted in a 15.25-cm container in early December, 2002. Plants were pinched one time, that is, the terminal apex was removed to enhance branching, at the end of December. One week after the pinch, plants were exposed to short day/long night photoperiodic treatments until flowering. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 26° C. and night averaged 18° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Sunny     Yoursula. -   Commercial classification: Decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the     Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yoursula, disclosed in U.S. Plant     Pat. No. 13,641. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten to twelve days             at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous             decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle with             mounded crown; compact plant habit. Stems initially upright,             then outwardly spreading. Freely branching with about seven             lateral branches per plant. Moderately vigorous.         -   Plant height.—About 18 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 23.5 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 16 cm. Diameter: About             3.5 mm. Internode length: About 8 mm. Aspect: Upright and             outwardly spreading. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to             146A.         -   Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length:             About 5.2 cm. Width: About 4.2 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base:             Attenuate with truncate tendencies. Margin: Palmately lobed,             sinuses divergent. Texture, upper surface: Slightly             pubescent. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent; veins             prominent. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage,             upper surface: 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper surface: 147A to 147B.             Venation, lower surface: 147B. Petiole length: About 1.9 cm.             Petiole diameter: About 2 mm. Petiole color, upper surface:             147B. Petiole color, lower surface: 147C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and             ray florets developing acropetally on a capitulum. About 17             inflorescences per lateral branch.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in mid September in the Northern Hemisphere.         -   Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About             3.5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower             surface of phyllaries): Darker than 146A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.2 cm; small. Depth             (height): About 9 mm. Disc diameter: About 2 mm;             inconspicuous. Receptacle diameter: About 2 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 1.5 cm.             Corolla tube length: About 1 mm. Width: About 2.5 mm. Apex:             Acute or emarginate. Margin: Fused. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous; satiny. Surface: Concave. Orientation: Initially             upright, then perpendicular to vertical. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About 85 in numerous whorls.             Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 9A to 12A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 9C to 9D.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 3.5 mm. Width, apex: About 1 mm. Width, base:             About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 22. Color: Immature: Close to 154A. Mature: Apex:             Close to 9A. Mid-section: Close to 144B. Base: Close to             155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 16. Length:             About 5.5 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Darker than 146A.         -   Peduncle.—Length: First peduncle: About 4.1 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 5.25 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 8 cm.             Diameter: About 1.25 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 35             to 40° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to             146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther color: 9A. Pollen: None observed. Gynoecium:             Present on both ray and disc florets.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been     observed to be tolerant to rain, wind and temperatures ranging from     0 to more than 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Sunny Yoursula’, as illustrated and described. 